*This series explains the meanings of proper names, including names of places, companies, people, brands and others.
| Name | 長谷川 町子 |
| Romaji Hiragana |
HASEGAWA Machiko はせがわ まちこ |
| Kanji meaning | long / valley / river / town / child In 1946 she created the comic strip series, “Sazae-san,” which depicted the daily lives of a housewife and her family. It was adapted into a newspaper comic strip, a radio drama, and an animated TV series. The anime is still running even now. She received the People’s Honor Award. 1920-1992 |
| Name | 手塚 治虫 |
| Romaji Hiragana |
TEZUKA Osamu てづか おさむ |
| Kanji meaning | hand / mound / governing / insect Dubbed the “god of manga,” TEZUKA is best known for “Astro Boy,” “Jungle Emperor Leo,” and “Black Jack.” Both children and adults find his works to be not only amusing, but also deeply moving. A common thread running through his work is “the value of life.” 1928-1989 |
| Name | 藤子 F. 不二雄 |
| Romaji Hiragana |
FUJIKO F. Fujio ふじこ F. ふじお |
| Kanji meaning | wisteria / child / non- / second / man FUJIKO F. Fujio is best known for creating the popular and long-running series “Doraemon,” whose main character is a Japanese cultural icon. FUJIKO Fujio is the pen name of a duo formed by two Japanese manga artists. The other artist’s name is FUJIKO Fujio A. They won many awards. 1933-1996 |
| Name | 赤塚 不二夫 |
| Romaji Hiragana |
AKATSUKA Fujio あかつか ふじお |
| Kanji meaning | red / mound / non- / second / man (husband) Known as the ‘king of manga gags,’ He was a pioneering artist of humorous manga. His most famous works are “Osomatsu-kun” and “Tensai Bakabon.” Many of his manga focused on supporting characters, and as a result, they became more closely identified with his works. 1935-2008 |
| Name | 梶原 一騎 |
| Romaji Hiragana |
KAJIWARA Ikki かじわら いっき |
| Kanji meaning | rudder / field / one / riding on horses KAJIWARA is a manga writer and film producer famous for exploring themes related to sports through images of heroic young men. Titles he’s worked on include: “Tomorrow’s Joe” (about boxing), “Kyojin no Hoshi” (baseball) and “Tiger Mask” (wrestling). 1936-1987 |
| Name | 石ノ森 章太郎 |
| Romaji Hiragana |
ISHINOMORI Shotaro いしのもり しょうたろう |
| Kanji meaning | stone / of / forest / chapter / thick / son He created “Cyborg 009” in 1963, but his most well-known creation is “Kamen (Masked) Rider,” which was adapted into a TV series, leading to the birth of the “transforming” (henshin) superhero. It is said that he produced over 120,000 pages of artwork in forty five years. 1938-1998 |
[From Hiragana Times article]
